Examples of shuffling devices for playing cards, particularly for use in casinos are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,659,082; 6,659,460; 6,655,684; 6,651,982; 6,651,981; 6,588,751; 6,588,750; 6,568,678; 6,325,373; 6,267,248; 6,254,096; 6,149,154; 6,139,014; 6,068,258; 5,989,122; 5,695,189; 5,676,372; 5,584,483; 5,382,024; 4,832,342; and 4,586,712. In these known shuffling apparatuses, various different formats of randomizing cards are performed. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,082, the shuffling vessel is formed by a horizontally arranged drivable drum that is provided with radially extending shafts, each for receiving a card. An input station for receiving a stack of discarded playing cards is provided through which the individual shafts of the drum are supplied. The storage container for the shuffled cards is supplied by the drum. Following the activation of a card ejector, the individual cards are randomly pushed into the storage container. A similar card shuffler has become known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,712 in which the drum is vertical.
A high degree of shuffling is achieved with such card shufflers. The predictability of the card sequence in the shuffled card stack is difficult or virtually impossible for a third party even in the case of using electronic aids. In these known shufflers, there can be card storage means for individually retrieving the shuffled cards. This individual card movement requires significant control and may lead to certain disadvantages. For example, certain card shufflers may only be used for certain games, but not for such games where a removal in stacks of the shuffled cards is provided.
A card-shuffling apparatus with an output apparatus for retrieving cards is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,085 that by way of a respective activation can be supplied from the shuffling storage means, not only with individual cards, but also with several cards, so that an entire stack of cards can be taken from the output apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,122 teaches a card-shuffling apparatus that also conveys entire playing card stacks to an intended output apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,921 teaches a floating jammed shuffle detector for use in a card-shuffling machine. The detector has a body with a card-contacting portion and a sensor interactive portion. A detector housing and a photosensor are provided. The sensor interactive portion has an aperture of a predetermined size. The detector, particularly the body, is reciprocally mounted in the housing, whereby the card-contacting portion of the detector contacts the uppermost card of a deck of cards and the sensor interactive portion is received in the photosensor. Depending on the sensed position of the card-contacting portion of the detector, the machine receives a “reshuffle” or “proceed” command. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,068,258 and 5,695,189 also have disclosures on card jam detection and recovery.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,014 discloses a recovery method for recovering from a card jam in an apparatus for automatically shuffling cards, the apparatus including a card mover for moving the cards and sensors for monitoring movement of the cards wherein, during normal movement, the cards are moved substantially one at a time and the sensors are alternately blocked and unblocked. The recovery method comprises the steps of: sensing a prolonged blocked state, thereby indicating that the card jam has occurred; altering the normal movement of the cards; sensing an end of the prolonged blocked state; and resuming the normal movement of the cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,373 teaches a card shuffler comprising: a card-moving mechanism; a microprocessor for controlling operation of the card shuffler, including the card-moving mechanism; memory; a program stored in memory for controlling the card-moving mechanism; at least one detector for detecting the presence of a card jam; in response to detecting the presence of a card jam, the program automatically attempts to recover from the jam; and a multi-segment display for displaying the occurrence of a card jam.
The differentiation as to whether or not entire stacks of cards or merely individual cards are conveyed to the output apparatus is solved in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,683,085 and 5,989,122 by electronic means. The output apparatuses per se remain the same and are therefore not believed to be adaptable to the different card games.